Augustine Paredes (b. 1994, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines) is a multi-disciplinary artist questioning what it means to desire in the light of migration, identity, and longing.
His expanded photographic practice revolves and evolves in questioning the post-colonial identity of a Filipino in diaspora through different appropriation of artistic mediums, traditional materials, queer gaze, and historical narratives.
Augustine works with image-making via photography, painting, poetry, and installation.
His solo exhibitions include Artists’ Room at Jameel Arts Centre (UAE), Light, Leaks at Foundry (UAE), Yearning The Sun To Fall at Fffriedrich (DE), Paradise4Ever at Gulf Photo Plus (UAE), and How Strangers Meet at Today x Future (PH).
He participated in group exhibitions internationally, most notably in Art Dubai (UAE), Middle East Institute (USA), Sotheby’s (UAE), 421 (UAE), Museum Angewandte Kunst (DE), Delfina Foundation (UK), Tarzeer Pictures (PH), Gravity Art Space (PH), and Castlemaine State Festival (AUS).
He has been commissioned by Jameel Arts Centre, Diriyah Biennale Foundation, Alserkal Arts Foundation, Art Dubai, Warehouse 421, Goethe Institut, and the Royal Commission of AlUla.
He is an alumna of Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (South Korea), AlUla Artist Residency (Saudi Arabia), Salama Bint Hamdan Emerging Artist Fellowship (UAE), Campus Art Dubai (UAE), and International Summer School of Photography (Latvia).
Augustine authored art and poetry books entitled Conversations at the end of the universe (2020), Long Night Stands With Lonely, Lonely Boys (2021), Happy to be here to be happy (2022), The Bitter Taste of Sweetness (2022), and Slow Disco (2024).
He is a co-founder of Sa Tahanan Collective along with curator Anna Bernice, aiming to create a platform for Filipino art and creatives through exhibitions, art sales, and collaborations.
Artist Books
Conversations at the end of the universe (2020)
Long Night Stands With Lonely, Lonely Boys (2021)
Happy To Be Here To Be Happy (2022)
The Bitter Taste of Sweetness (2023)
Slow Disco (2024)
Monograph
Artist’s Room: Augustine Paredes
Written by Zishi Han, Published by Jameel Arts Centre
Solo Exhibitions
Artist's Room: Augustine Paredes
Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai, UAE
Yearning The Sun to Fall (2023)
Fffriedrich, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Light, Leaks (2023)
Foundry, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Paradise4Ever (2022)
Gulf Photo Plus, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
How Strangers Meet (2016)
Today X Future, Quezon City, Philippines
We Are Water (2015)
Abreeza, Davao City, Philippines
Edge of Seventeen (2012)
Lion’s Bar, Davao City, Philippines
Select Commissioned Projects
Ang Pagluluto sa Linamnam ng Alaala (Diriyah Biennale)
Feast from the Migrant Body (Art Dubai)
Between Many Bodies (Art Dubai)
Verses in Reverse (Alserkal Arts Foundation)
A Poem, A Garden (Alserkal Arts Foundation)
Slouching Through Bedspaces (Goethe Institut)
Goodnight, Sweet Dreams (Warehouse 421)
The Bitter Taste of Sweetness 2023 (Royal Commission of AlUla)
Education
Fine Arts (Prof. Haegue Yang)
Hochschule für Bildende Künste–Städelschule
2023
Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication
Ateneo de Davao University
2010 — 2014
Residencies & Fellowships
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Korea, Goyang Residency (2024)
Royal Commission of AlUla: AlUla Artist Residency (2022)
Salama Bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship Cohort 8 (2021)
Warehouse 421 x Gulf Photo Plus (2020)
Campus Art Dubai 7.0 (2019)
International Summer School of Photography (2018)
Select Professional Experience
Seeing Things Photographic Studio (UAE)
Art Director & Photographer
2019 - Present
Friendly Fires Small Press
Independent Publisher
2021 - Present
Sa Tahanan Co. (UAE)
Co-founder
2020 - Present
Coffee Communications (UAE)
Art Director 2017 - 2019
Select Group Exhibitions
RAY Triennale 2024: Soft Proof
Museum Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany
Tea Room Relay: Pit Stop, 2023
Delfina Foundation, London, United Kingdom
Editions, 2023
Gulf Photo Plus, Dubai, UAE
Hemispheres, 2023
Tarzeer Pictures, Manila, Philippines
Object Orientations, 2023
Gravity Art Space, Manila, Philippines
Palimpsest of Time, 2023
Royal Commission of AlUla, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The Bitter Taste of Sweetness, 2022
Royal Commission of AlUla, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Goethe Institut: Love Labor Leisure, 2021
Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, UAE
Between the Sky and the Earth:
Contemporary Art from the UAE Middle East Institute, 2021
Washington DC, USA
As We Gaze Upon Her, 2021
Warehouse 421, Abu Dhabi
Made In The Emirates?, 2021
Sotheby's DIFC, Dubai, UAE
Mina Zayed: Reflections on Past Futures, 2020
Warehouse 421, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Sa Tahanan Co. Exhibit No. 1, 2020
Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, UAE
Record Record: Long Night Stands With Lonely, Lonely Boys, 2019
Tarzeer Pictures, Manila, Philippines
Cooking Adobo in the Heart of Dubai, 2019
Art Dubai, Dubai, UAE
Select Press
Art Asia Pacific
In search for a “PARADISE 4EVER”
Canvas Magazine
Unveiling Artistic Perspectives: Artist’s Rooms at Jameel Arts Centre
Communal Contexts
Offenbach Stadt
AIR_Offenbach: Augustine Paredes erhält ein Künstler-Stipendium in Seoul
Magzoid
Augustine Paredes: Exploring Migration, Identity, and Longing through Multi-Disciplinary Art
Global Art Daily
Augustine Paredes Builds His Paradise Home at Gulf Photo Plus
Review by Sophie Arni
Fisheye Magazine
Le journal des errances physiques et intimes d'Augustine Paredes
Canvas Magazine
Young Voices from Dubai
NOLISOLI
Finding paradise as a Filipino artist living a thousand miles away from home
Text by Chrsitian San Jose
VOGUE Italia
Best Photobooks of 2020
NYLON Manila
Inspired by the humbe adobo, this Dubai-based Filipino artist sheds light on the migrant plight in this evocative series
Text by Angelo De Cartagena
East East
Passport: Arjun Appadurai reflects on a small object with big capacities
Text by Arjun Appadurai
Global Art Daily
Augustine Paredes Taking Up Space
Interview by Daniel Rey
Stir World
Augustine Paredes' food photography explores importance of collective sharing
Text by Dilpreet Bhullar
Video and Audio Interviews
NOWNESS
A window into Al Quoz, the community shaping a new creative vision for Dubai
Arts AlUla
Artist Residency Programme 22-23 Edition | Augustine Paredes
Khosh Bosh
Permission to Gaze with Augustine Paredes
Emerging Podcast
Augustine Paredes On love, loss and longing
Engage 101
Augustine Paredes Artist Profile
Tarzeer Pictures
Calling Myself Home